Means for ventilating mines and removing dust and gases therefrom.



, F.. T'. MERS. A MEANS FOR VBNTILATING MINESA AND REMOVING DUST AND GASESV THBREPROM. APPLIGATION lFILED MAR. 16., 1908. 899,508, Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

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UNITED STATESA PATENT oEEIoE.

FRANK T. BYERS, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR VENTILATING MINES AND REMOVING DUST AND GASES THEREFROM.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 16, 1908.

Patented sept. 29, 190s.

Serial No. 421,328.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK T. BYEEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Ventilating Mines and Removing Dust and Gases Therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mine ventilation, and particularly to the removal of dust, gases, and other impurities from the se arate com artments, passages, or rooms o a mine, an apparatus for accomplishing the same.

The objects of my invention are to avoid the danger to miners employed in operating the mines and to prevent the accumulation of explosive gases and compounds. The danger of such explosions has been very reatly increased in coal-mines by the introuction of machinery for the lcutting of the coal, and the use of gunpowder and other blastin compounds used 1n throwing down the coa from the face of the rooms or passages. The cutting machinery causes large quantities of iine coal-dust, and when a sufficient amount has accumulated a dangerously explosive mixture results. It has been found that recent explosions are due largely to this cause. y

My present invention provides means for removlng the dust and gases, collecting the dust in settling chambers and withdrawing the gases from the mine.

These objects, together with other advantages Which will hereinafter appear, may be accomplished by means of apparatus which is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates a horizontal section through the headings and rooms of a mine, showing one arrangement for carrying out my invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the entrance to a heading, showing one form of a door by which the headings may be sealed.

The exhaust pump 1, together with its operating engine or other motor 2, may be conveniently ocated in a room 3 excavated for this purpose at the bottom of shaft 4, and from which entrance is obtained into the which accumulate in the inner ends of the,

rooms and this accumulation results in the explosive mixtures which endanger the lives ofthe miners as well as the property of the mme.

A system of piping is led from the main shaft having the main ipes or conduits 10 suspended yfrom the roo ot the headings with branch pipes 12 leading therefrom into the several rooms and into proximity to the face of the coal where the -cutting machinery is in o eration. A branch main 13 leads from t e main 10 into the settling chamber 15, from which the exhaust pipe 16 leads to the pump 1. At the entrance to the headers and at intermediate points if desirable, there are placed sliding doors 20 by means of which the passages may be closed and sealed airtight. Similar doors 21 also control the assages 22 and 23 leading into the dust sett ing and collecting chamber 15.

The thorou h cleansing of the mine and the removal o all of the dust, gases, and impurities is `preierably accomplished at night, as this must be done when the mine is not in o eration. For this purpose the door 20 at t e entrance to the main heading is closed, thus sealing the entrance air-ti ht, the other doors remaining open in their owered osition. The valve 25 is closed, shutting o the main 10 from the outside atmosphere. The exhaust pump is set in operation and withdraws the air and gases from the passages of the mine until the atmospheric pressure has been very much reduced, say to iive pounds per square inch, as shown by the pressure indicator 27. The valve 26 in the pipe 13 is now closed and the valve 25 is o ened, whereupon the air from the outside wl l rush through the pipes, issuing with great force from the pipes 12 at the inner ends of the several rooms, causing strong drafts which will force the dust and any remaining gases from the rooms into the headings, from which the only exhaust is through the passage 22 into the settling chamber 15. The dust will be collected and settled in traversing the tortuous path in the chamber 15 and may be assisted by sprays of water therein; while the gases will be drawn out through the pipe 16 by the operation of the pump and will pass out through the exhaust 29.'v The mine will thus be thoroughly cleansed of all dust and impurities and the collected dust and dirt may be manually removed by entering the chamber 15 through the several entrance passages 22 and 23. lt will be seen that by providing a settling and dust collecting chamber between the passage 22 and the ex` haust pipe 16, the vdust and other solid particles are removed before the gases enter the exhaust pump, thus preventing the destruction thereof which would result if the dust and solid particles were allowed to enter the same.

In order that there may be no large accumulation of dust and impurities while the miners are at work, during which time the doors leading into the headings are allvopen and the fan blowers are operating in the headings, I arrange to withdraw the dust and gases continuously from the inner ends of the rooms by means of the same system of piping. For this purpose I close the valve 30 and open the valve 26, and also close the door 21 at the entrance to the exhaust passage 22. The exhaust pump will now create a suction continuously through the pipes 12, main ,10, and branch main 18, and through the settling chamber and exhaust pipe 16. The dust will be collected in the chamber 15 While the gases will be forced out through the exhaust pipe 29. lt will thus be seen that I provide against the accumulation of any dangerous amount of dust and gases during the working hours, and thoroughly cleanse the mine of all dust and gases during the time that the mine is closed down.

In Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown detail views of a sliding door by which the headings and passages may be sealed. A frame having side members 40 and top member 41 is fitted within the passage and forms the guide for the sliding door 42, an air-tight joint being insured by a resilient sealing material 43 which extends around the sides, top and bottom lof the frame. The door may also be further secured by means of cam levers, as will be clearly understood. ln order that the operation of the door shall not interfere with the track which extends through the headings of the mine, a pit or well 44 extends below the frame, the door being suitably balanced by weights and pulleys or otherwise so that it may be readily lowered into the pit or raised into its closed position. Sections of rails 45 are carried by the top of the door, which pass up within the top vguide of the door frame when the door is in its raised position.

From the foregoing description, it will now be clear' that l have provided an ellicient method of removing the dust, gases, and other impurities which accumulate in the inner ends of the rooms and passages of mines. lt will be apparent that l may seal certain portions of the headings and cleanse a portion of the mine or l may seal the entrance and cleanse the entire mine at one time. By arranging the system of piping and the pumping apparatus and dust collecting chamber as above described, so that strong drafts or blasts of air may be injected into the interior rooms when the mine is closed down and then causing the suction through the system of piping during the working hours, l have provided an exceedingly economical system.

rllhe method disclosed in this aplvilication is claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 442,317, filed July 7, 1908.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which the same may be carried out, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Apparatus for the ventilation of mines and the removal of dust and gases therefrom, comprising means for closing the entrance of the mine, means for reducing the atmospheric pressure therein, means for introducing air at a higher pressure into the inner ends of the chambers or rooms, thereby causing drafts from the rooms into the headings of the mine, and means for conducting the dust and gases from the headings into dust settling and collecting chambers.

2. Apparatus for the ventilation of mines and the removal of dust and gases therefrom, comprising means for drawing the dust and gases in the inner ends of the rooms or passages into dust channels, means for settling and collecting the dust, and means for expelling the gases from said settling chamber.

3. ln a system for the ventilation of mines and the removal of dust and gases therefrom, the combination with a system of conduits or channels opening into the inner ends of the several rooms or chambers of the mine, ol" a settling and collecting chamber connected with said conduits, and an exhaust pump connected with said chamber and adapted to withdraw the dust and gases from the rooms into the settling chamber and to exhaust the gases therefrom.

4. In a system for the ventilation of mines and the removal of dust and gases therefrom, the combination with doors adapted to seal the entrances ofthe mine headings, of a system of conduits or channels opening into the inner ends of the several rooms or chambers of the mine, a settling and collecting chamber conneoted With said conduits, an exhaust pump Intestimony whereof I afhx my signature, connected With said chamber and adapted to in presence of tWo Witnesses. Withdraw the dust and gases from the rooms into the settling chamber and to exhaust the FRANK T' BYERS 5 ases therefrom, and means whereby said oon- Witnesses:

uits may be placed in communication with E. C. BROWN,

the mine shaft or with the exhaust pump. CHARLES N. MURRAY. 

